Sunday, 24 December 2006

It's a bit of a tradition for myself and big Pete to escape each year for a day in the mountains on Christmas eve. The CIC and Ben Nevis are just so damn good that we headed back there this year for what is usually a bit of a swally followed by a hungover stumble up some munros. Not so this season...

Nevertheless, the forecast was for an inversion with summit temps at plus 8 degrees, so we thought we better take a good supply of alcohol up to the hut as the prospects of climbing looked bleak. Above is Peter trying to get his money's worth out of the supply at 4am. Time for a kip mate, and don't let the CIC mouse bite!

Unfortunately for our hungover bodies, we woke (at 10am) to blue skies, frost and the sight of some ice hanging in there in the Coire. So after an unhealthy breakfast we racked up and rolled out, headed for Green Gully.

Peter motoring up the start of Green Gully. He did take the fancy to stop and make a belay after climbing 110 metres.

Lovely neve heading off into the sky.... ice climbing heaven.

A stunning topout moment into the early afternoon sun.

A better way to spend christmas eve than the shopping frenzy that no doubt raged in the cities.

We had time for brew sitting outside the CIC hut before heading home, soaking up the warm inversion air, and looking longingly at the plethora of projects in the Coire.

A great day, until I arrived home to find my new wee Micra broken into and smashed up. Oh well...

Its been an interesting few days. I've managed to clear off a lot of my backlog of work, just about 20,000 words of overdue writing tasks to nail before proper climbing resumes. In between I nipped out and finally did the move that would'nt go on a 'last great' Dumbarton bouldering line. So the psyche is on to begin some more focused attempts. I'm glad about this, it will really help me train here again and avoid the climbing wall gravity for another winter. Anyway, tomorrow is Christmas day and its time to eat large chunks of meat at my mum's and then learn how to fix my broken car. Best go now and hit the fingerboard to earn tomorrow's calorie blizzard...

Not had too many chances to put the Reactors through their paces due to the crap winter, but they seem to be ace. Better on ice then the Fusions and more of an all round tool. So basically I'd get fusions for hardcore sport mixed and reactors for an all rounder. Only the new Petzl leashless tools even come close to BD's domination in quality ice tools! You might say I'm bias being a BD climber, but you did ask!